Lyr Add: Chicago Bust Rag (Greg Hildebrand)

Subject: Lyr Add: CHICAGO BUST RAG (Greg Hildebrand)
From: Joybell
Date: 25 Oct 03 - 10:41 PM

Joybell has dragged me out of my little outback humpy with the news that somebody wants the words to this song, which i wrote in 1966, and which Steve Goodman later recorded. the tune is a ragtime version of Stagger Lee.

Chicago 1966 (Hildebrand):

Saturday night/ I came home / what do you think i found! I
went to open my kitchen door, but the door was busted down.
looked inside my kitchen.....what do you think i see? I
saw four great big ugly men...they were standin there waitin for me

                                     and i said
burglars? gangsters? who the hell are YOU?   you
LOOK like a bunch of skidrow bums or monkeys from the zoo.
cause if it WASN't for the cut of your crummy clothes, which
leaves me in some doubt ..... I'd
say youre just a bunch of mafia hoods, sent over here to rub us out

                                       and they said
beatnik! junkie! doncha talk that way to me. we found your
roommate here with a stash of hash and cubes of LSD. found a
bottle of Miltown in your room, which means youre as good as dead !
IF you dont want your teeth knocked out, better
keep a civil tongue in your head.

                                           so i said
PO-leese, PO-leeae, by Christ i should have seen.
mafia men aint half as dumb, aint nowhere near as mean. so they
shoved me up against a wall and I just hollered DON'T! STOP!
YOU fellas hit me just one more time, and i
swear i'm gonna call a cop.

                                           so they said
reeeefer! reeeefer! hash and LSD!
just tell us where you get it, fellas, and we
promise to set you free. Well,
OFFICER, i dont know what you mean, you
seem to be in such a rush.......I
never set foot in this house before. would you
like to buy a Fuller Brush?

                                                   now
hipsters, vipers, ive got a few words for you. it's
election year in chicago town, and it's time to hide your boo. Cause
Tony Rigoni is a narco man, and he's got a nose for grass (Yas!)
IF he ever catches you turning on, you KNOW it's gonna be your ass.

(ive presented the words here in a way intended to give some indication of the phrasing and accents. GH)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hildebrand's Chicago bust song
From: Joybell
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 07:03 PM

I just noticed that on some of Steve Goodman's sites this song - usually named as "Chicago Bust Rag" is credited to a Diane Hildebrand. Is there something I should know about my dear husband?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hildebrand's Chicago bust song
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 10:57 PM

And Greg has the narco cop's real name correct in this posting here of his lyrics. Steve Goodman sang "Tony Spumoni" (or something like that) on his recording of it for fear of legal problems.

Ah, nostalgia !!!!

Art Thieme (Glad to be back.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hildebrand's Chicago bust song
From: Joybell
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 02:59 AM

Hello Art from Greg. And from Joy. Good to have you back. We wonder what happened to our friend and protecter. Do you know? Is he still arresting people? Going on 90 by now though, so maybe not.
One of the patrolmen at the station said, "Hey guys I didn't know they brought broads in here!" Hildebrand and his roommate had longish hair at the time. Is this how Diane got into the picture do you think? Do you know this Diane, Art?
                               Joy and her Diane no! no! Hildebrand

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hildebrand's Chicago bust song
From: Joybell
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 03:40 AM

Steve Goodman searched high and low for Hildebrand before he recorded this song. After Steve's death his record company continued to look for him but never did find him. It should be noted that Steve always credited Hildebrand with authorship - (not Diane) and that he tried to find him to pay royalties and to thank him. Sadly the two never did actually meet, as far as Hildebrand can remember,although they were in the same area in 1966. Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chicago Bust Rag (Greg Hildebrand)
From: GUEST,clem rowand in texas
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 05:11 PM

Hildebrand - I've been singing this song ever since my friend Eric Frandsen laid it on us at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley in the late 60's. Good to know from whence it came.
Plus, Steve Goodman has always been one of my heros. Peace -

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chicago Bust Rag (Greg Hildebrand)
From: Joybell
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 08:59 PM

Hello Clem. Thank you for the message. i'm pleased that you like the song. Steve Goodman was a great performer and a superb guitarist, from what I can gather from recordings. I don't think I ever actually met him -- I think he was still in high school when I lived in Chicago -- and I don't know how he learned the song. I was living in Vientiane in 1974 when I was told about him. When I did hear his version I was quite impressed with it. I think he did a great job. I still regret not having the opportunity to meet him.
                  all the best, hildebrand
So True-love's song spread quite quickly to the West. Interesting.
Joy